What is a pitch deck?

Investment pitch-deck 101

A pitch deck is a brief presentation, often created using PowerPoint, Keynote or Prezi, used to provide your audience with a quick overview of your business plan. You will usually use your pitch deck during face-to-face or online meetings with potential investors, customers, partners, and co-founders.

Slides of a pitch deck

1. Introduction

Who are you and why you're here? Keep it short and sweet.

12. Contact

Leave your contact details and let people know how to reach you quickly.

2. Team

Show the people behind the idea and briefly describe their role.

11. Investing

What is your planned budget? What kind of money are you looking for?

3. Problem

What problem are you trying to solve? Is it really a problem?

10. Business model

How are you planning to make money? Show a schedule when you expect revenues to pour in.

4. Advantages

What makes your solution special? How are you different from others?

9. Competition

What are the alternative solutions to the problem you are trying to solve?

5. Solution

Describe how are you planning to solve the problem.

8. Market

Know, or at least attempt to predict, the size of your target market.

6. Product

How does your product or service actually work? Show some examples.

7. Traction

Traction means having a measurable set of customers that serves to prove a potential.

Pitch DeckDo's

1. Tell a story & engage people emotionally

Everyone loves to hear stories, even the investors. So tell an exciting story about your startup.

2. Limit each slide to expressing one idea

You want to keep your entire audience on the same page

3. Prepare to make a great first impression

First impressions are powerful. Believe it. The first 2-3 minutes are the most important

4. Show the people behind your idea

Focus on a significant, relevant accomplishment for each person in a team that identifies that person as a winner

5. Keep a consistent look in presentation

Use the same font, size, color and capitalization format across all slides of your investment pitch deck.